Echoes of Silence
by phantomofthehummus
Summary: Nadya, a 19 year old college student, is having nightmares. The strangest part is, she can't recall them. When her Mythology and Folklore class is assigned to talk about urban legends, Evan, her classmate, introduces the students to Slender Man. Nadya finds herself thrown into a terrifying nightmare that seems all too familiar, only this time, she can't wake up.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_A full moon hangs idly in the center of the stark black sky. No stars shine on this frosty autumn night. The trees reach upward, as if trying to grasp the moon and bury it beneath the dirt, so the light will be diminished. A slight breeze ruffles the dead leaves that litter the forest floor. I am not alone here. I have never been alone. The darkness makes the trees swarm closer together, but a shadow separates itself from the scenery behind it. Oh God, it's him. It's him and he's coming to get me. I cannot move from where I stand. I try to scream for help, but my mouth refuses to open. The shadow elongates, becoming taller than all the trees that surround us. His arms shoot out from where they had been limply dangling at his sides, and all at once we are one. I feel thin fingers scraping into me, colliding with my bones. My eyes widen to see the faceless thing as it pulls me into itself. _

The alarm blared, declaring the start of another Monday. Nadya's eyes opened slowly, her lashes sticking together from a restless sleep. She felt uneasy, but could not pinpoint the cause of it. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she realized she must have been having one hell of a nightmare. Although, she could not remember a thing about it. She reached out and switched the alarm off before prying herself out of bed. The best part about college was that classes weren't so damn early.

"With the new semester upon us, it's time to open those minds again," Professor Wayland told the group of students. Nadya sat in the second row. The entire class could fit into the first three, but a few students lazed around at the very back. GENED 121, the infamous Mythology and Folklore course at the University, was one of the less popular classes. The course itself was interesting, but Patricia Wayland, a woman of 47 who made a habit of sharing a bit too much of her personal life, was the deciding factor for many students. It was great to see teachers enjoying their subjects, but to some, Mrs. Wayland seemed to preach all sorts of bizarre stories as if it were her very duty to God himself.

"Last time we met, I asked you all to bring back some kind of tale that you thought I had never before seen. I'm very excited to hear the results." She said, walking to her desk and taking a seat. Nadya blushed and looked down quickly, she had completely forgotten about the assignment. Evan, a short and chubby boy who looked all of fourteen and still had acne to spare, approached her and took a seat.

"Don't worry, I found something," he said with a smile. He pulled a stack of printed papers from his backpack and layed them neatly on the table. The other two group members, a girl with kinky black curls and an obsessive gum-chewing habit, and another who prided herself on the neat tricks she could do with her split tongue, joined them at the table.

"So what is it? "gum chewer asked between smacks.

"Slender Man," he said," some crap I found on the internet." Nadya's brow furrowed at the sound of the name, but she couldn't quite remember why it felt so familiar. Perhaps she had stumbled across it on her many late-night internet adventures. Snake tongue smiled with excitement and leaned over into the group.

"It's not crap! He's real, I've seen him." Seen sounded more like "theen" because of her lisp. Nadya pushed her black-framed glasses up the bridge of her nose nervously. The class could not be over fast enough. Her hazel eyes peered up at the clock on the wall behind the Professor's desk. Thirty minutes was dragging on into hours it seemed.

"Okay, enough group chat. Let's hear about what you all have to say," Prof. Wayland said cheerily. Evan popped up from his seat and headed to the front of the room. He sure had confidence for a kid that was probably picked on all through grade school. Nadya and the other girls gathered behind him, waiting for him to speak.

"Slender Man, the tall and menacing creature without a face!" he said excitedly, holding up a picture and showing it to the rather unenthused crowd of students. "He is eight-foot tall, to be exact, but can grow even taller. He has long, dangly arms and tentacles poking through his back. He wears a black suit and a red tie, pretty classy for a monster. He's been seen worldwide, and is known to steal children. In adults, he causes paranoia, insomnia, and memory loss."

"Hm... Slender Man. All right, you've got me. I have not heard of this guy. Reminds me of my ex-husband. Except he had two faces instead of none." Prof. Wayland trailed off into yet another rant.

Nadya tossed her belongings onto her unmade bed and sighed. Her roommate, Tiffany, had classes all day. That was all right since the two never spoke. Nadya ruffled a hand through her auburn pixie-style hair and slumped onto the bed. She felt exhausted, but she had done nearly nothing all day. She supposed it was from sleeping so restlessly, and decided to take a nap.

_I am nothing. I am everything. I am. I am. I am. I found you._

Nadya opened her eyes wide and looked around, shaking.

"That voice…" she spoke aloud to the empty room. It was like static, like a strange electrical screech, but she had still made out the words as it echoed inside her head. What the hell was it? Why did it sound so familiar?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The phone vibrated against the bed-side table before toppling onto the carpeted floor. Nadya reached a hand from under the covers, groping around at the floor for her phone.

"Gotcha," she said through a yawn, as she picked it up. She had missed the call, but recognized the number as Tiffany's. The clock on the screen told her that it was 2:20am. She dialed her voicemail and listened to the message.

"Nadya, it's Tiff. Hey, I'm sorry if I woke you, but I have to go home for a while," she was sobbing. "My dad's in the hospital. They said he isn't going to make it much longer. I'll tell you more when I'm b-back."

Nadya frowned and placed the phone back on the table. She sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. The blinds on the window that was beside Tiffany's bed were open. Nadya shuddered, knowing that they had been closed before she had gone to sleep. She was alone, but she felt watched. Uncomfortable and afraid, she climbed out of bed and went to the window. At first, the area outside seemed vacant, but then she saw a figure standing a ways back next to a tree. It looked like a man, but it was oddly… tall. She bit her lip, trying to block the thoughts out before they could come to her.

_Slender Man_, her mind echoed. _He is real._ She quickly pulled the blinds closed and ran back to the bed. Under the covers, she curled her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around them. Her breathing was harsh, and she realized that she needed to calm down and rationalize the situation. She held her breath, and heard a tapping. This made her jump, and she tore the covers from over her head and fumbled to turn the bedside lamp on. Once she had, she saw that the room was still empty. Her eyes cautiously surveyed the room, slowly reaching the window. A shadow lurked on the other side of the blinds.

_Tap, tap, tap. _

Nadya cringed away from the sound, too terrified to move. She stared at the shadow, too short to be what she had seen by the tree. Maybe it was someone trying to scare her. If that was the case, it was definitely working. Something moved behind her, and she whipped around. Her backpack had fallen on its side and a few books had poured out of it. She sighed, and then looked to the window once again.

The shadow had vanished.

Begrudgingly, she got out of bed and look through the blinds. The area was deserted. Nothing stood by the tree any longer, and whoever had been at the window seemed to have given up.

"Hey, Nadya!" Evan waved as he entered the classroom. Nadya gave him a lazy nod, she had gotten no sleep after what had happened last night. He sat down beside her, looking at her closely with concern.

"Whoa, you look terrible!" he exclaimed dramatically.

"Gee, thanks, Evan. You're a real sweet-talker." She said between yawns. The gum addict, whose name was Lisha, joined the two at the table, looking tired herself. Elsa, the one with the split tongue, was late for class. The room, while never being crowded during this class, was more dispersed than usual. Even Professor Wayland looked as though she could use more sleep, and she hadn't even begun to complain about her issues yet. Something was definitely wrong, but Nadya couldn't be bothered to pay much attention to all the signs, since she was too busy drooling on the table.

"That's super attractive," Lisha joked, popping a stick of gum into her mouth. Behind her, the door to the room opened and in walked Elsa. Her hair was a mess, not that it normally wasn't but her ordinary style portrayed a controlled mess rather than a just-rolled-out-of-bed mess. She sat with the rest of the group, sighing and plopping her head down on her end of the table.

"Did everyone go to some party last night or something?" Evan asked, sounding envious.

"Someone was tapping on my window," Nadya replied, looking down at her hands. Lisha and Elsa both perked up.

"Me too," they said together. This, at first frightened Nadya, but she soon was overcome with relief. It must have just been some kid messing around with people last night. She felt silly for even believing in that stupid urban legend for even a moment. But that still didn't explain what she had seen beside the tree. Maybe just her eyes deceiving her, she had just woken up and all.

"Thanks for those nightmares, Evan. I had never heard of that Slender Man thing, but now I seem to be unable to forget it," Mrs. Wayland said from her desk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

After class, Evan had invited Nadya to come with him to the library to study. She was afraid to go back to her dorm just yet, so she decided it was better than hiding from a boogeyman like she was a child. The library was still filled with several students who were busy studying, typing papers, and reading. Nadya sighed, relieved to be around more people. Evan led her to a back table that was secluded from the rest of the occupants. She reluctantly sat down across from him, laying her backpack on the table. He pulled out some papers and began leafing through them.

"Seems like this whole Slender Man thing has you freaked out. Sorry," he spoke while skimming a paper.

"It's all right. I find it weird how the rest of the class is acting though," she mentioned.

"Yeah. Like they all saw something." He said, looking a bit uneasy.

"It might've just been that guy who was messing with us." she offered hopefully.

"Wouldn't explain Wayland being on edge though." He mumbled doubtfully. Nadya reached into her bag and something sliced into her hand.

"Ouch!" she pulled her hand out and sucked the blood from the wound. Evan gave her a puzzled look as she pulled a twisted metal object from her bag. In what looked like white chalk, a large circle marked through with an X was drawn on it. Evan bit his lip, and dug around in his own bag, fumbling with papers until he had found what he was looking for. He slowly pushed it across the table to Nadya. It was a photo of the same symbol. Beneath it was an article about Slender Man.

Nadya's face went a ghostly white, and she grabbed her things and got up.

"I have to go," she mumbled before nearly running out of the library. She paced through the campus, headed for her dorm. To her left, out of the corner of her eye she saw a man. He was wearing a hood and on his face he wore what look like some kind of white mask. She kept walking, slower now, inhaling the crisp air deeply as she walked. Behind her, she could hear leaves crunching. She threw a glance back, and saw the masked man following her, his hands in the pockets of his gray hoody. He made no move to hide, so she believed he was just headed the same way. She looked ahead, and noticed another man, very close, wearing the same mask and a black hoody. She stopped, which was a mistake. From behind, the gray man grabbed her and tried to knock her down. She hit him in the chest with her elbow, and sprinted forward. The man in black chased her, but she didn't let up running. She cut the corner of the dorm building next to hers, and just had a little further to go. A girl who shared the building came through the front entrance, looking confusedly at Nadya as she sprinted for the door.

"Run, they're coming!" Nadya yelled as she came into the doorway.

"Who?" the girl asked in a low voice. Nadya spun around, pointing. The men were nowhere to be seen. Her hand fell to her side and she looked at the girl with wide eyes.

"They were… I saw…" Nadya trailed off. The girl looked down and continued quickly down the sidewalk the way Nadya had come.

Once she had made it back to her room, Nadya made sure the blinds were closed, and turned all the lights off. Only little slivers of late-afternoon September sunshine wavered across the floor from the slits in the blinds. She threw her bag onto the floor beside the bed, kicked off her sneakers, and hopped beneath the blankets. The sheets were cool against her flustered skin. She kept her face above the covers, staring at the light, slowly fading as evening approached.

After a long while, Nadya fell into a light sleep. She was easily woken when she heard a rustling by the window. She bit her tongue, opening her eyes and looking directly at the window. This time, the blinds lay on the floor. The eerie light of the moon poured into the room, but in the center of this light stood an unearthly tall shadowy figure. Its arms lay limply at each side, nearly reaching its knees. It was leaning forward so that its featureless face was visible right above its neat red tie paired with a plain black suit. Nadya gripped the edge of the covers with sweating hands, her knuckles going white from squeezing so tightly.

_Found you. Found you. I found you._

The static voice blared inside her head. She pushed her hands against her ears, trying to block it out.

_Here…. I…. Come…. _

The sound dragged on in her head, making it pound furiously. She closed her eyes and screamed, trying to overpower the voice. Suddenly, it vanished. She opened her eyes, tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. The creature was no longer in the window. She got up and walked to the window, staring outside. She could not find it anywhere. She turned slowly, and noticed a shadow in one corner shift slightly. She sucked her breath in and cautiously approached it, fists clenched.

Seemingly appearing from the darkness, the masked man in the black hoody pounced out of the corner and was upon her, knocking her to the ground. His hand covered her mouth, and the last thing she saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the white mask with its black gaping sockets.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

A telephone was ringing incessantly. Nadya opened her eyes and was momentarily blinded by the florescent lights above her. She squinted, sitting up slowly. She found herself in a clean, white hospital room. She looked to where she assumed the door was located and noticed nothing but curtains hanging from the doorway, pushed aside so she could be seen. A nurse walking by offered her a pleasant smile and continued on down the corridor, her shoes squeaking on the linoleum. Then, like a flash, feeling set into her arms. They ached horribly and there was an annoying itching sensation crawling up and down them like hungry insects. She looked down at her arms and saw that they were wrapped thickly in gauze.

"Miss Nadya, finally awake I see." A man, presumably a doctor, said in a warm tone.

"What happened?" she asked in a whisper.

"You were knocked out good, huh?" he asked, smiling. He sat at the computer that was off to the side of the room, just in front of the curtains. Nadya put her fingers to her temples, struggling to recall how she had ended up in the hospital.

"You finished the paper work, and everything is in order. Nurse Evelyn will bring you your clothes in a moment. Dominion will be sending a cab to pick you up any minute, so be ready." He said, getting up to leave.

"What are you talking about?" Nadya asked in a panic-stricken voice. The doctor raised an eyebrow, approaching the bed.

"Nadya, you came here early this morning after you attempted suicide. You talked to me and said you wanted to commit yourself to a mental healthcare facility. We talked to the folks at Dominion, and they have a spot for you." He spoke slowly, taking Nadya's hand and squeezing it.

"N-no. That's not what happened. I need to get back to school." She mumbled.

"I've already called and let them know your situation. Nadya, calm down. You'll be in good hands now. You'll get the help you need."

"I didn't try to kill myself!" she shouted, tearing her hand from the doctor's grasp. A nurse walked in with a bag and stood idly in the room. The doctor got up and smiled to Nadya sympathetically before exiting.

"Here you go, baby. Put these back on," the nurse told Nadya, closing the curtains and offering the bag to Nadya. She opened it and saw her undergarments, jeans, sweater, and sneakers inside. She looked up to the nurse's back turned to give her privacy while she dressed.

"So, we headed to that old Dominion place, huh?" the cabdriver called back to Nadya as he drove up a winding road. The sun was peering through the trees, casting shadows on the street. A wind whipped through the limbs of the trees so that they resembled bony fingers offering her a farewell.

"You don't look crazy to me." He stated with a laugh.

"I'm beginning to think quite the opposite," she muttered in a hushed voice. Looming ahead of them on a lonely hill stood a blood-red brick building. All the windows were barred and dark. Nadya caught a glimpse of someone standing in one, but the person quickly moved out of sight.

"Welcome, Nadya!" an overweight little woman called gleefully when Nadya entered into the lobby of the facility. Her things were carried off down a hall as she was led into a large room filled with women. They all were busy doing various activities like watching TV, playing cards, and chatting but each and every face turned to see the new girl when she walked in.

"Girls, this is Nadya. Nadya, these are the girls. Don't be shy, hun." The woman coerced Nadya further into the room before walking back toward the front. Nadya stood in the middle of what appeared to be a living room, confused and feeling out of place. She quickly looked down and made her way to a plush chair by a dusty bookshelf in an empty corner. She nervously plopped down in the seat and picked at her finger nails.

"You've seen him." A hushed voice called from beside her. Nadya jumped and turned her head quickly, seeing a thin, short girl crutched down beside the chair. She was staring at the floor and her choppy black hair fell forward, hiding her face. Nadya pushed her glasses up her nose and cleared her dry throat.

"Who?" she asked in a whisper. Suddenly, the girl's head flew back and her charcoal eyes seemed to pry into Nadya's mind. Her hair still fell around her face as if it was trying to keep her hidden from sight.

"The Tall One." The girl spoke, barely parting her lips. There was a dullness in her eyes, as if she were almost incapable of feeling anything at all. But beneath that, a fear was ever present.

"You've seen him? That's why you're here?" Nadya asked, leaning into the girl's face with curiosity. The girl leaned backward, somehow managing to stay balanced. Her eyes returned to the floor.

Nadya was loosening up as the hours passed. She had learned that the strange girl's name was Aimi and she had been at Dominion since she was a young child. She didn't speak much, and never louder than a strangled sounding whisper. She seemed to always be on edge. Nadya had been too; she constantly felt watched.

"All right, ladies. Time to return to your rooms for the night. Lights out before ten, you got that, Chelsea?" a nurse called out to the group of women.

Nadya followed Aimi down the hall and entered the room they shared. It seemed to be a terribly convenient coincidence that the two were going to essentially be roommates, but then again everything was queer as of late, so Nadya brushed it off as nothing. Aimi sulked into the room, head down as usual and sat stiffly on her bed. Her hands rested gently on her thighs. She was wearing a flowing white night gown, and baggy gray socks covered her feet. The patients were not allowed to wear shoes, only the socks they had been provided with.

"You are the first person to share this room with me," Aimi said, sounding on the verge of a smile. Nadya merely stared at her in silence, feeling tension building around them in the lamplight.

"The Tall One, he was there when my parents died. They thought I was crazy, they never believed me. But you've seen him, too…" Aimi trailed off, tears tumbling from her cheeks and soaking into her gown.

"I didn't do this to myself." Nadya said, thrusting her arms out and showing Aimi her bandaged wrists. Aimi walked across the narrow space between the two beds and held Nadya's arms in hers hands.

"He made you." Aimi said, shuddering slightly.

Ten o'clock had come and passed, and the nurse had done the final check for the night. Aimi seemed to be sound asleep in her bed, her back was facing Nadya. Nadya, on the other hand, was wide awake. She was having trouble getting used to the hospital, and every shadow seemed to be slowly lurching toward her bed, waiting to grab her and envelop her in darkness.

She closed her eyes tight and held her breath, listening to the blaring silence that filled the room. Something shifted in the darkness, but she held her eyes closed trying desperately to ignore the sound. Then, she heard something slither beside her bed. It was hovering just above her face, light puffs of breath pattered against her cheek.

"We have to go." Aimi said, causing Nadya to jump back in fear. She clasped a hand over her own mouth before she could scream. Aimi was wearing a slouched navy blue sweater and black leggings along with her baggy grey socks. Nadya fumbled for her glasses while Aimi went quickly through the drawers, gathering all their clothing and tossing them into the sheet she had laid on the floor. Nadya stood and pulled on a white tee and her jeans as Aimi folded up the sheet and knotted it, creating a makeshift sack in which to carry their belongings.

Aimi pressed the door to the room open and slipped out into the black hallway beyond, not making a sound. Nadya followed quickly behind her, pulling the door shut as they made their way through the room. Something was wrong. There should have been night shift workers monitoring the rooms at all times, but the entire floor seemed deserted. Where had everyone gone? Aimi led the way to the lobby. An eerie street light cast a glow onto the washed out tile floor, and the girls crept silently across it to the main entrance. The doors were held open.

Aimi stepped out into the cold night…

_And shivers, wrapping her arms around herself, the sack of clothing dangling from her right hand. I step out and stand beside Aimi. Every shadow seems to peer at us, hiding behind the surrounding trees and bushes. We begin walking down the sidewalk and out toward the empty street ahead. A low grumbling static echoes through my head and I grasp for my ears. Aimi does the same, and drops the sheet bundle. It loosens open and the clothes pour out onto the sidewalk. The sheets ripple and slither further down the walkway, stretching as they move. I merely stand in place and watch as they transform into a long and slender figure. It floats up from the sidewalk and stands straight. The once white sheets fade to black and a faceless head slips out from atop the draping darkness. Aimi is on her knees, peering through her hair and up at the thing she calls The Tall One. I reach for her arm and grip it tight, tugging at her and trying to pull her from the ground. The static screech is ringing in my ears once again, but I fight the urge to cover them. Aimi whips her head to face me, and to my horror I notice that she is wearing a white mask with two large, gaping holes that stare blankly back into my face. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Nadya's eyes opened wide and she jumped, her back hitting something firm. She stared forward into Aimi's curious and tired eyes. Her arms were crossed upon a small table littered with remnants of food. Nadya looked around anxiously, seeing that they were safe in a diner. Her eyes were drawn to the large window to their side, it was morning and quite early from the looks of it. She ran a shaking hand through her messy hair and returned her gaze to Aimi with pleading confused eyes.

"Do you remember anything?" Nadya asked, already sure the answer would be one she didn't want hear. Aimi studied her for a long time before finally shaking her head and staring down at the table top. Nadya bit her hand and sighed. She closed her eyes and tried to think back, but all she could remember was going to sleep back in her room at Dominion. Across from her, Aimi gasped suddenly. Nadya peered up at her and saw her slap her hand down on a paper that was on the table. She raised her brows and stared at Aimi who slid the paper over to her. She removed her hand and Nadya recognized the symbol that she had seen on the weird chunk of metal she had found in her bag back in the library with Evan.

"We have to go. I need to go wash up first, come on." Nadya said in a rushed voice, getting up quickly and heading toward the restrooms. The two burst into the dimly lit room and Nadya hurried to the sink, turning on the water and splashing her sweating face. She raised her head and looked into the mirror, her mouth gaping open. The strange circle with the X in the center was drawn on the glass with what looked like dried blood. She backed up, running into Aimi who had been exiting a stall.

"They're coming." Aimi whispered, grabbing Nadya and pulling her into the stall with her.

_I stand, facing the door while Aimi sits with her feet curled up on the toilet. I hold one hand firmly over my mouth, listening as the door to the bathroom swings slowly open. Footsteps echo and approach the sink directly across from where we are hiding. I peek through the crack where the door closes and see a person in a hoodie standing at the sink, back toward us. It is one of the masked men from the university. His head pops up and glares into the mirror, noticing my shoeless feet beneath the stall door. I back up, but there is no more room to hide. He turns quickly and rams against the door. I scream, unable to hold it back and shove both arms out to hold the door. I scream for Aimi to help me, but she says nothing, I flip and press my back against the door. Aimi is gone. There is a gaping black hole in the wall behind the toilet. The door to the stall wobbles against my back as the masked man hits it with his shoulder. I jump forward and throw myself into the hole._

_I don't feel myself land, but the ground is stable beneath my feet. Aimi is sobbing in the dark somewhere. I reach my hands out, calling her name. She calls back to me, her voice bouncing around from every direction all at once. A light flickers, then flashes on. Aimi is sitting on the hard earth. I look around and notice we are in some kind of cave. There is a dark entrance a little ways forward, so I grab Aimi and pull her with me outside._

_It is dark and cold, a light mist falls from the cloudy black sky. Aimi grips my hand. This feels like a dream or a nightmare, and I try to hold onto it, knowing that I will only forget all this, too. We are standing in a clearing in a forest somewhere. It feels familiar, but I cannot declare why._

_Aimi presses her body against my back, and the rain ceases at once. The trees lean inward, towering above us. Watching. Waiting. I can feel him. Slender Man. The Tall One. The smell of electricity is heavy in the air. Suddenly, Aimi is torn from her place behind me, screaming as she is pulled into the darkness-_

A TV brightened the previously dark room. Nadya sat up in bed, trying to catch her breath. Her body was drenched in sweat, the white tee shirt she had on was clinging to her back. Her head turned to see Aimi staring out a window. Studying the room, she realized they were in a hotel.

"Nadya, he's got a hold on us." Aimi spoke quietly.

"I can't remember anything, Aimi! What the fuck is happening to us?" Nadya shouted as she climbed out of bed. Aimi turned; her face was red from crying.

"You have to wake up, Nadya. WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

_WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!_

_Aimi tears at her face, her nails digging deep into the flesh of her cheeks. She is ripping the skin off and dropping clumps of it onto the carpet. I back away, falling onto the bed. I scream at her to stop doing that. Why the hell is she doing that? Her fingers prod into her eyes and push them back into the sockets, she's screeching. The blood is running from her mutilated face, down her hands and arms and soaking into her sweater. Her screams merge with static. The sound drills into my ears, and I cover them with my numb hands, shrieking in response. I shut my eyes to block out the sight of Aimi clawing the skin from her face. The tears slip out of my tightly closed eyes, slide down my cheeks and drip off of my trembling chin. Aimi is quiet, but I am afraid to open my eyes. Is she dead? Is she finally dead?_

_My eyes open slowly. Aimi is facing into the corner of the hotel room. In the other corner stands the tall, lanky man without a face. I cannot help but walk to Aimi. I am behind her. I reach my arm out to touch her back. She turns slowly. I scream when I see the white mask. She reaches a hand up and tears it off, revealing a grotesque skull face with bits of flesh still clinging onto it. Her jaw gapes open in a hideous grin. I fall backward, screaming in horror as she jumps upon me, her sunken-in eyes staring coldly back into mine. _


End file.
